Hannity was scheduled to hold a book-signing and a live taping of his talk show during the event.

Fox News Executive Vice President of Programming Bill Shine issued a statement to the media Thursday evening saying Fox had decided to call Hannity back to New York to do the show because officials believed the Tea Party was using Hannity to make a profit at the event.

“Fox News never agreed to allow the Cincinnati Tea Party organizer to use Sean Hannity’s television program to profit from broadcasting his show from the event,” Shine said. “When senior executives in New York were made aware of this, we changed our plans for tonight’s show.”

Criticism that the Tea Party and Hannity were trying to make a profit from the event began bouncing around on blogs, including the media blog Media Matters, about two days prior to Thursday’s rally at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bank Arena.

“Unequivocally, from our standpoint, this is wrong,” Kevin Smith, president of the Society of Professional Journalists, told Media Matters. “For a news organization to charge people for access, then take that money and roll it over to a political action group that they cover quite a bit ... There is a clear conflict of interest here.”

Cincinnati Tea Party officials said the idea that they would make money on the event is false.

“The Left drove that story, Fox capitulated to it and left,” said Chris Littleton, a Cincinnati Tea Party spokesman. He criticized Fox for not coming to Tea Party if it had concerns.

Littleton said in a statement late Thursday that the group had been unable to verify the statement from Fox News.

Hannity’s show spent about $100,000 to come to Cincinnati, Littleton said.

Several people in the audience shouted “refund!”

Justin Binik-Thomas, vice president of national affairs and strategy for the Cincinnati Tea Party, said the group will probably lose money on the event, although final financials won’t be available for several more days.

“We’re a nonprofit,” he said, adding that Fox was “well aware” of that. If any profit is made, it will fund future events, he said.

The Tea Party reported about $77,500 in ticket sales. It had budgeted $70,200 in expenses for the event, including security and other costs, officials said. However, there will also likely be extra costs, as the group said in a news release late Thursday that it would honor requests for refunds. It said an e-mail address to request a refund would be set up within 48 hours.

Organizers sold about 7,500 tickets and gave away another 420. Basic tickets cost $5 and special VIP tickets to sit near the Hannity taping cost $20. The Hannity tickets, nearly 2,000 of them, sold out.

Pat Kellison said she wants her money back. She’d not only bought the $13 book but had paid the $20 for preferred seating to watch the taping of Hannity’s show.

“I’m not happy,” said Kellison, of Pierce Township. “I’m not getting what I paid for.”

No one knew about the cancellation until Hannity didn’t show up.

He’d made a couple stops in Cincinnati throughout the day, including taping a radio show earlier in the day at talk station WKRC-AM.

Word about Hannity’s possible cancellation came around 4:30 p.m. when the book-signing was supposed to start. Hannity wasn’t there. Shortly before 5 p.m. his bus pulled out of the parking lot.

Frustrated fans left, books in hand.

“I’ve waited 10 years to meet him,” said Joe DiMario of Mount Washington. “He’s who I came for. I listen to him every day. I’m very disappointed.”

Hannity staff members took people’s names and addresses and promised to send them a signed bookmark in the mail.

“It’s not the same as shaking his hand, but it’ll do,” DiMario said.

Others weren’t as upset. They said they’d come for the Tea Party speakers, too, not just Hannity.

“Everyone’s disappointed, but I would have come anyhow,” said Mary Lipps of Delhi Township.

For most of the night, confusion swirled about the reason for Hannity’s departure.Tea Party officials said Fox producers told them a “family emergency” forced the cancellation. Hannity staff members at the event told the Enquirer – and many in the book-signing line – that a “technical issue” forced him to cancel.

The arena, which seats about 13,000, was about half full. Binik Thomas said he doesn’t think ticket-holders left because of Hannity’s cancellation, but he thinks it reduced the number of walk-ins.

At the event, the crowd rallied. Many held signs such as “Will work for Liberty” and “Don’t tread on me.” They waived American flags.

They gave a standing ovation for PJTV economist and comedian Sonja Schmidt.

“If you think we’re going to give up our liberty and give up our constitution, in the words of Barack Obama, ‘Bring it on,” Schmidt said.

They rallied again when Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, also known as “Joe the Plumber,” took to the stage. Wurzelbacher became the face of middle Americans for the McCain-Palin campaign in 2008 after he questioned Obama at a campaign stop.

Not one to be politically correct, Wurzelbacher drew cheers, and a couple of raised eyebrows, as he shared his views on immigration – “Put a fence up and start shooting. That’ll do it.” – and told the audience to “voice your opinion.”

“You have that right,” he said. “I’m not going to give in to a bunch of liberal pansies.”

The Cincinnati event, called Freedom Rings, was among hundreds of tea party rallies across the country Thursday. The movement formed last year to promote limited government and fiscal responsibility.

Binik-Thomas stressed that Hannity’s book-signing and show were separate events from the tea party rally and said he didn’t think Hannity’s cancellation would detract from the movement because many of the people there didn’t come just for the star power. They came for the principle.

Most guests agreed.

“We’re here for our grandkids,” said Carla Huffman, of Hebron, pointing to a sign. The sign held photos of said grandchildren and the words “We Deserve Freedom Too.”